The downside to Armstrong is he's a LH batter... doesn't help to spell A.J. from the tough lefties. I liked him in spring training last year too... maybe he will be the starter in 2010 or 2011...

If he can hit lefties (which he's shown to do remarkably well in the AFL), then it shouldn't matter. I don't know how he's fared against them in his career, but he's crushing them right now. Very limited size, though.

If he can hit lefties (which he's shown to do remarkably well in the AFL), then it shouldn't matter. I don't know how he's fared against them in his career, but he's crushing them right now. Very limited size, though.

AJ has always done fairly well against lefties (he hit for better avg and slg'd better against lefties in '08 than righties). If there's no appealing options thru FA, make Cole the backup, and just use him to spell AJ whenever he needs it (day game after night game, before a day off to give AJ 2 days off, in the middle of long road trips, etc). Plus he can give us a LH pinch hitter, something we didn't have in '08 until the emergence of Wise and the acquisition of Griffey/demotion of Swisher.

If Armstrong can play at an acceptable MLB level, there's no reason to worry that he too is a lefty. In fact, it would allow Ozzie to go with a set lineup with the catcher always batting in the same spot in the order. In addition, without having to worry about lefty/righty matchups, Ozzie could have the catchers start based on who is pitching for the Sox, so that each starter gets comfortable working with one catcher.

__________________The universe is the practical joke of the General at the expense of the Particular, quoth Frater Perdurabo, and laughed. The disciples nearest him wept, seeing the Universal Sorrow. Others laughed, seeing the Universal Joke. Others wept. Others laughed. Others wept because they couldn't see the Joke, and others laughed lest they should be thought not to see the Joke. But though FRATER laughed openly, he wept secretly; and really he neither laughed nor wept. Nor did he mean what he said.

If Armstrong can play at an acceptable MLB level, there's no reason to worry that he too is a lefty. In fact, it would allow Ozzie to go with a set lineup with the catcher always batting in the same spot in the order. In addition, without having to worry about lefty/righty matchups, Ozzie could have the catchers start based on who is pitching for the Sox, so that each starter gets comfortable working with one catcher.

If Armstrong can play at an acceptable MLB level, there's no reason to worry that he too is a lefty. In fact, it would allow Ozzie to go with a set lineup with the catcher always batting in the same spot in the order.

Does anyone know anything on Derek Rodriguez (seem him in person, etc)? He's 25, was pretty solid in '07 as a starter, as well as in '08 as a reliever, and outside of 1 appearance this fall, has been a lockdown reliever in the AFL. Is he Oneli Perez/Fernando Hernandez Pt 2, or does he have a chance to being an effective reliever in the bigs?

Does anyone know anything on Derek Rodriguez (seem him in person, etc)? He's 25, was pretty solid in '07 as a starter, as well as in '08 as a reliever, and outside of 1 appearance this fall, has been a lockdown reliever in the AFL. Is he Oneli Perez/Fernando Hernandez Pt 2, or does he have a chance to being an effective reliever in the bigs?

I haven't heard much of him either which is surprising given how well he played last year and so far in the AFL.